It’s that time again. Flu season. Everyone is trying their best to stay healthy but it is not always easy to do so. Doctors encourage everyone to get the flu shot but, how do we know if the vaccine is safe?
In past years, I have always received the flu vaccination. To be honest, I did not really have a say in this decision. My mom always made me get a flu shot when I lived at home. However, this year is different. I am in college now and I get to choose whether or not I get vaccinated. Now, my first choice was not to get the vaccine because I hate getting shots. Since the flu shot is not a required vaccine, I would gladly choose not to get it. But, I decided to do some research to make the best decision.
It turns out that my research supported my choice of not getting the vaccine. Doctors always encourage patients to get the flu shot, but according to multiple studies, flu shots do not usually prevent the flu and in most cases the side effects from the shot can make you more sick. It is incredibly dangerous to get the flu shot if you are already sick. You need to have a strong immune system in order for it to be safe for you to receive the shot. However, in most cases doctors or pharmacists do not inform patients of this danger. There are also controversial additives that are in the vaccine. Majority of flu shots contain 25 mcg of the toxin thimerosal which is a mercury-based preservative that is commonly associated with brain and immune system dysfunction. Other ingredients include aluminum salts, sugars, gelatin, egg protein, formaldehyde, and neomycin. None of these ingredients are healthy for us. This means that the flu shot is injecting harmful toxins in us, and in most cases these ingredients will do more damage to our bodies than it will help our bodies (Natural News).
Take a look at the graph above. It shows the mortality rate of people who had the influenza virus. The number of deaths began to decrease tremendously around the 1970s, but once people began taking the flu shot, the number of deaths started to rise again (Global Research).
Another reason why you should not get the flu vaccine is because the Center of Disease Control and Prevention guess which influenza shot to give each year. They cannot prove which influenza virus will spread during flu season, so the vaccine is based on their best guess. This concludes that there is no guarantee that the flu shot will prevent the flu because there is no guarantee that the vaccine will even relate to the virus that is spreading in that given year! (Natural News)
Personally, all of these facts convinced me not to get the flu shot this year. It is up to you whether or not you receive the vaccine. Either way, here are some ways to boost your immune system. These tips could help prevent you from getting the flu and in my opinion they are a lot more effective then the flu shot!
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and running water for 20 seconds.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
- Cough into a tissue (and throw it away), or into your elbow.
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay Hydrated
- Make Smart Food Choices
- Exercise
- Get Good Sleep
- Reduce Stress
In conclusion, the flu virus is preventable but getting the flu shot is not effective in preventing the virus. If your doctor tries to convince you to get the flu shot, make sure you consider all of your options before agreeing! Good luck to everyone with surviving this flu season!
Allison, I am glad you posted about this issue. I disagree with you on a lot of points and suggest that you check out my blog on the issue, “Flu Vaccinations: The Odds Are Ever In Your Favor” to see all the evidence for my support of vaccination. Long story short, thimerosal isn’t that dangerous and doesn’t cause autism. Although the vaccine doesn’t work 100% of the time, it’s still a lot more effective than nothing for the majority of the population. The number of deaths caused by the flu or flu-related illnesses is insignificant in the big picture–anecdote versus empirical study. Especially for college students who live in close quarters (so all of Penn State and State College), getting the vaccine is crucial.
Although I do appreciate your article about the flu shot and there is ongoing controversy about whether or not the flu shot is harmful of helpful, I have to say that I disagree with your standpoint. I have gotten the flu shot ever since I was a little kid and I can personally say that I have never had any problems with it. I have known people that had a bad reaction to the flu shot and got sick from it, however that may just be due to as you stated their immune systems being not as strong as they should have been. Knowing how the flu shot works and most vaccines for that matter is important. The point of vaccines is to try and make your body immune to the certain diseases and illnesses that try to impose themselves on your body. Vaccines are a more or less dumbed down version of the actual virus so of course none of the things they are putting into our body are necessarily good for us, but it’s our bodies job to fight off this dumbed down version so that when the real thing enters our body they know what to look for and know that the virus is indeed bad. I don’t think doctors would inject something into our body that did more harm than good but that’s just my opinion. Here is an article that can give you more of an idea of how the flu shot works. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/how-flu-vaccine-works.aspx
It’s so funny you wrote about this subject because I was talking about the flu shot with my mom about an hour ago. I have never received the flu shot because my mom “doesn’t believe in it.” My mom hates taking medicine and basically is against putting anything not natural into her (and my) body. I used to get into fights with her about it because I wanted to get vaccinated so I didn’t get sick. Luckily, I have never gotten the flu but it is very interesting that your research supported my mom! She would be so satisfied with herself knowing she was right for all these years. The graph that you inserted into your article is so fascinating! It shows that the number of deaths began to rise after people started to get vaccinated. Whether or not this is a coincidence, I never plan on getting the flu shot.
As you have mentioned getting the flu shot is a personal choice. You stated that it may be safer to not get a flu shot, but I believe that is not correct in most cases. If your doctor suggests that you get a flu shot while you are sick then maybe that person should switch their doctor. I do not believe that most doctors would purposely give you the flu shot if they knew you were sick. If think about it the reason of you getting the flu shot is to prevent you from getting sick so why would a doctor try to seriously get you sick.
Moreover, from my research over 70 percent effective in reducing people needing to be hospitalized for the flu. In addition, it is safer to get a flu shot if you are more subjective in catching the flu. Some people who have higher chances of getting the flu and who should get the vaccine are people with asthma, diabetes, cancer, aids, or HIV. For individuals with these conditions it is suggested to get the vaccine.
“Flu shot: Your best bet for avoiding influenza.” Mayo Clinic . Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
According to the CDC the flu shot does contain thimerosal in order to safeguard against possible contamination of the vial once it is opened. There is a very little amount in the shot, but it can still have side effects on us. That is interesting that they took it out of other vaccines but kept it in this one! If it is proven to be harmful to us then I wonder why they have not removed it from the flu shot yet!
Here is a link that explains more: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/thimerosal.htm
Something interesting I found in your article was that the flu shots contain thimerosal. I wrote a post about vaccines and autism and I found in my research that the toxin was taken out of vaccines in the early 2000’s. I wonder if it’s different for vaccines than the flu shot!